Before the Fall
by Paperlanterns86
Summary: Before Gondolin Fell, one of it's greatest warriors fell for a maiden, and she for him, this is their tale. Rated T for now. Glorfindel/OFC update coming after exams!
1. Chapter 1 Where it all began

**A/N****: Hello! This is my very first fic that I have decided to publish, so please be kind with reviews and feedback. That being said, feedback and reviews are greatly appreciated and encouraged from readers.**

**Glorfindel is my favorite character in Tolkien's universe and I feel that he is neglected, so this is my part in giving him some love. **

**This may sound silly, but this was partly inspired by the Minecraft adventure map 'The Fall of Gondolin'.**

**Disclaimer****: I own nothing from the Tolkien estate, although I do own any OC's and other deviations from the books.**

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"I want you to be home not long after sunrise; it's not good for you to be mining for such long shifts." Tuarwen chided as she helped her daughter to don her cloak.

"Yes naneth, don't worry I shall return before sunrise." Her daughter Nariel assured her as she turned to face her mother.

"Just be careful pen-neth" Tuarwen told her daughter as they embraced.

"I will naneth, I promise." Nariel said with a smile as she bid her mother farewell and exited her house and into the cold night air.

The streets of Gondolin were dimly lit in the darkness of the night and nearly empty of pedestrians as Nariel swiftly made her way through the chill air towards the west gate of the city. Once she reached the gates of the city, she noticed that there must have been a change in the guards as there were no guards at the bottom of the gate, nor any at the top of the two towers beside the gate. Nariel let herself through the small door built into the gate, as she usually did whenever she had night shifts in the mines.

Once outside the city, she began the decent onto the plains that were between the city and the Encircling Mountains. Out here, the wind seemed chillier and the gusts were stronger, so Nariel drew her cloak closer around herself to stay warm.

The main cavern of the mines was a welcome shelter from the winds for Nariel. She was surprised to find that she was the only person in the mines; usually there were always one or two people in the caverns. After removing her cloak from her shoulders, she hung it on the hook that was assigned to her, and grabbed a pickaxe from the bin.

To connect all of the mineshafts below ground to the cavern on the surface level, there was an intricate system of mine carts and rails to transport the miners themselves as well as any supplies, and their findings down below. By taking a quick glance at all of the tracks, Nariel could see that she was indeed the only person in the mines, as none of the carts were missing.

Just the other day, a new cave system had been discovered, and the miners were in the process of turning it into a new mine shaft. The tracks had recently been completed, and Nariel wished to be one of the first to get some minerals or gems from the new system, so that was her intended destination. From the supply bins she grabbed several torches, flint, and burlap sacks to carry whatever she might find.

The ride down through the mines was eerie, sparsely lit by torches along the tracks, and left miners with a lot of time to their own thoughts. Often on these journeys Nariel thought of her deceased adar, he himself had been a miner in the same mines that she was. Twenty years prior he had been killed in a cave in, leaving Tuarwen to raise the then 28 year old Nariel all by herself. Despite her mother's objections and fears, mining was the trade that Nariel had decided to pursue, and when she was forty she began her apprenticeship in the mines, and after eight years, she was in her own right a miner.

The abrupt stop of the mine cart brought Nariel out of her brooding, and into the mine shaft. Using her flint, she lit the nearest torch on the wall, and brought it with her deep into the cave, lighting more along the walls as she went, scanning for minerals. For many minutes Nariel turned down different pathways, searching for minerals, so engrossed in her task that she neglected to continue placing torches along the way.

Finally, after ten minutes searching, she came across a good sized seam of coal. Smiling at her find, Nariel placed down her torch and began the laborious task of picking away at the seam. For nearly half an hour Nariel diligently worked at the seam, gaining enough coal to fill one of the sacks full. Gathering the coal into the sack, she began the trek back to the mine cart, but quickly realized her mistake, and that she was becoming lost.

Panic rising up in her throat, Nariel pressed on, straining her keen eyesight for the sign of a torch coming up ahead of her. As the minutes pressed on, she knew she was walking in circles, and desperation began to creep up in her as well. She noticed that her own torch was burning low, when she finally saw ahead of her salvation, a torch in the distance. However, after a few moments of observation she realized that the torch was moving, being carried by another elf.

Assuming that it was another miner eager to explore the new mine shaft, she was greatly surprised to see instead an ellon not in work clothes, but the garb of a warrior, bearing the seal of the House of The Golden Flower. She was even more surprised that the ellon was in fact the Lord of the Golden Flower, Lord Glorfindel.

Putting the sack of coal on the ground, with torch still in hand she awkwardly curtsied to Glorfindel.

"My Lord," she said quietly.

"Ah, Nariel, daughter of Tuarwen" he replied, inkling his head in greeting.

"What may I ask, my lord are you doing all the way in the mines in the dead of night?" she inquired.

She had always been somewhat intimidated by his presence, but she had always admired him from afar, he was a very well respected member of the community, kin to King Turgon, and very handsome, his golden hair, attributed to his part Vanyarin ancestry made him stand out in the city of brunettes and raven haired elves. But never had she thought that she would be this close to him, alone in a dark cave besides that.

"Actually, mistress Nariel, I came to investigate something that the guards at the west gate had told me." He said, eyeing her in the torch light.

"The new recruits told me that right after the change in the shifts, they had seen an elf walking along the plains, without seeing their credentials and not knowing who it was. They were fearful of malicious intent from this elf, so they asked me to investigate." He explained stepping closer to her, she assumed to gain a better look at her face in the poor torch light.

"I tracked the footsteps of this elf, and they led me here to the caves, and judging by the lone cloak in the cavern, and the single missing mine cart, and just now finding you, I can assume that you are this mysterious elf that was spotted." He concluded, his height imposing upon her as he continued to stare her down.

Nariel had to look away a moment under his gaze before she could find her voice to answer him.

"My apologies my lord, that elf was me. I'm so used to going into the mines after dark, the guards on duty all know of me, so they usually never stop me or ask to see my credentials. I also did not realize that were new guards on duty." Nariel replied, lowering her gaze to her feet.

She was startled when his hand lifted her chin so her gaze would once again meet his. His eyes appeared much softer than they had before, much less authoritative.

His tone also was soft when he addressed her, "You are not in trouble, Mistress Nariel. I was only doing my duty, I am sorry if I gave you cause for fear of punishment. Now please, let me escort you back to your home." He said, gesturing down the corridor.

"Thank you my lord, you are very generous." She replied, bringing a small smile to her face.

Nariel was suddenly grateful that she had also brought her pick with her, for she couldn't find her way back to where she had been mining if her life depended on it. Ever the lordly gentleman, as she went to pick up the sack of coal, Glorfindel beat her too it, and effortlessly hoisted it over his shoulder. She flashed him a smile in thanks as she took his torch from him, as well as her recently extinguished torch and her pick axe. Once again he set her heart pumping wildly as he startled her once again by draping his free arm around her, coming to rest on the small of her back, leading her through the mines.

Although she knew she should have been paying attention to the way back, Glorfindels arm around her distracted Nariel so much that she was surprised when they suddenly rounded a corner and the mine carts were before them. She was surprised again when Glorfindel sent the lead cart on its way, leaving them to share the last cart. The strong ellon before easily heaved the coal into the front of the cart, and then held his hand out to her, gentlemanly helping her to board the mine cart. She clutched her pickaxe to her chest like it was a life vest in the ocean as he boarded the cart behind her, acutely aware of where their bodies touched in the confines of the cart. To Nariel's relief, the journey through the mines was made in a comfortable silence, though she did admit to herself that she greatly enjoyed being that near to Glorfindel.

Glorfindel patiently waited as she marked the sack of coal as hers, returned her pick axe and signed the ledger for account that she had been in the mines that night. Grabbing her cloak from the wall and fastening it around her neck, she met a smiling Glorfindel at the entrance as they braved the cold windy night.

Once again Nariel found herself thanking the darkness of the night as it hid her blush as Glorfindel wrapped his arm around her, holding her securely against his body as the wind battered the pair. Once they neared the city gates, Glorfindel released his hold from her to signal the guards to let them pass, however she was delighted when he once again rested his hand on the small of her back as he brought her back to her home.

When the pair reached the stoop of the modest house that Nariel shared with her mother, Glorfindel really did make her knees go weak as he brought her hand to his mouth, and while eyeing her meaningfully, he feathered a kiss to her dirty hand.

Swallowing hard, Nariel managed to thank him for his services that night. "Thank you for the escort Lord Glorfindel."

He flashed her his handsome smile, still holding onto her hand, "It was my pleasure, Mistress Nariel. Until next time my lady," he said, inclining his head.

Nariel curtsied in response, unable to stop herself from smiling as well. "My lord," she said, opening the door, and stepping inside, giving him one last smile before she closed it.

Once she was safely behind the closed door, Nariel couldn't help but let out a breath, and plaster a very girlish smile onto her face. Never had she thought that she would get the chance to be so close with the ellon that she had watched from a distance for years, let alone to have him look at her like that.

She managed to regain her composure as she quietly ascended the stairs to her bedroom, mindful not to wake her sleeping mother. After she had washed herself from the water basin in her room and was in her nightdress in bed, she gazed out of her window at the stars. She couldn't help but let that smile return to her face as she drifted to sleep, thoughts of the Lord of the Golden Flower gracing her dreams that night.

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**Please leave a review and feedback! I love to hear from readers!**


	2. Chapter 2 A Good Day

**A/N: Hello everyone! I want to apologize for the long wait between chapters, first I was delayed with my birthday and 4th of July celebrations, and then I had forgotten my flash drive at my grandmothers house and I almost died when I realized it haha.**

**I also want to thank everyone who has read, reviewed, and added this story to their alert lists! You are much appreciated!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing from the Tolkien Estate, however I do own all OC's and deviations from the canon universe.**

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As the sun's rays peaked over the mountains, the city of Gondolin was bathed in sunlight, rousing sleeping citizens from their nightly slumber. Nariel was no exception, her body so accustomed to rising the same time as the sun. She dressed as the sun's rays began illuminate the floorboards of her small bed room.

As usual, her mother was already in the small kitchen, preparing the morning meal.

"Good morning Naneth," Nariel greeted her mother as she helped to slice bread.

"Good morning pen-neth," Tuarwen smiled as they both sat down at their small table.

"You came in early last night," her mother commented between bites of food.

"I'm sorry, I did not mean to wake you mother," Nariel said, trying to maneuver the conversation in a different direction.

"It's no matter; although what really surprised me was that you were not alone."

"Oh," Nariel began, slightly caught off guard, "that was Lord Glorfindel, he escorted me home from the city gates."

Tuarwen's eye brows shot up in surprise. "The Lord of the Golden Flower escorted you home last night? My, that certainly is a surprise. Did you manage to handle yourself with some shred of dignity I hope?" she asked smiling knowingly, having knowledge of her daughter's admiration of the golden lord.

Nariel couldn't help the color that rose to her cheeks at that comment. "Yes Naneth, I certainly did, you would have been proud of me."

"I'm sure I would have my daughter. Now, what time do you plan on going back down to the mines today?" she asked as they finished eating and began to clear away the dished and food.

"Around noon, do you need me to run any errands Naneth?"

"Actually yes, I need you to run to the market and pick up some more bread, as well as cheese and fruit."

"Certainly Naneth, I just need to visit the miner's guild first." She told her mother.

"Very well, there is no need to rush," she called to her daughter, who had run back up the stairs to grab her coin purse.

"I shouldn't be gone too long Naneth. Good bye." Nariel called as she reached the front door.

"Good bye pen-neth!" Tuarwen called as her daughter walked out the door.

The streets of Gondolin were becoming livelier by the minute as Nariel traversed her way through the streets and towards the miner's guild, the headquarters of the miners. As always, someone was always there as she arrived at the guild.

The guild was where the miners kept track of the findings in the caverns, as well as maps of the caverns and the rail system. Just like the caverns they worked in, the guild wasn't very well lit, and not very clean, making the city's miners feel very at home.

Hunched over one of the tables covered in scrolls and parchments sat a young ellon and one of Nariel's closest friends, Tegalad.

"Suilaid mellon nin." Nariel said smiling in greeting, causing Tegalad to look up at her.

"Mae govannen mellon," he returned, smiling as well. "Did you get a chance to explore that new mine shaft last night?" he inquired, gesturing to the parchment laid before him, which Nariel noticed was an incomplete map of the new mine shaft.

"I did in fact, but you know me, I got a bit lost in the caves." She said smiling sheepishly.

"Well, that doesn't help with the map much now does it?" he said, sitting back in his chair and chuckling.

"Oh hush you, I did pay attention a little bit," Nariel laughed, and helped him to add more onto the map.

After they were done, Tegalad left the map to dry on a windowsill, as Nariel pulled from a shelf a very large ledger, and proceeded to mark down her findings from the previous night.

"Only one sack of coal?" he asked, raising a brow, it was unlike Nariel to come back with so little.

"Yes, I was lucky to be able to find my way back to the rail system as it was." She said laughing as she replaced the ledger back into its spot on the shelf.

"Well my friend, I'm afraid that I must take my leave now, I need to go to the market for my Naneth, and then I'm heading to the mines around noon. I trust that I'll see you there?"

"You can count on it mellon, and this time I'll make sure that we get some more work done on that map." Tegalad laughed.

"If you say so, mellon! Farewell!" Nariel shouted as she exited the guild and was greeted by sunlight.

By then, the whole of the city was awake and about, crowding the streets as Nariel made her way towards the lesser market.

The venders at the market were just finishing setting up their wares for display, which meant that Nariel would get the first pick of the produce for sale. She knew most of the venders quite well, as she and her mother both frequented the lesser market due to its rather close proximity to their home.

As she was buying the cheese that her mother had requested, Nariel was surprised to see across the way Lord Glorfindel himself. He did not notice her, as she could tell from his quick stride that he was intent on a certain destination. Nariel thanked the vender and made her way back through the crowds towards her home, having bought everything on her list.

Judging by the suns position in the sky, she judged the time to be around nine or ten in the morning, leaving her ample time to assist her mother more if she needed. Her mother was a seamstress, one of the most respected in the city, and she had taught her daughter the trade as soon as she could safely hold a needle, that was why Tuarwen was so chagrin when her daughter chose not to follow in her footsteps.

Nariel was not surprised when she walked in the door to hear the voice of an ellon, conversing with her mother, commissioning some piece of clothing she was sure. She was however surprised to see that the ellon in question was Glorfindel.

Managing to grab a hold of her dignity once again, she put on a small smile and greeted the lord with a curtsey.

"My Lord," she said respectfully. Once again, the golden haired ellon stole her breath away by capturing her hand and feathering a kiss to it, much like he had done the night before.

"Mistress Nariel, it is good to see you again." He said with a smile, inclining his head in greeting.

Smiling wider she managed to answer him "it is good to see you again as well my Lord."

"I just had to come and commission a new cloak from your mother, her work is the finest in all of Gondolin." Glorfindel said, turning his smile toward Tuarwen.

"You flatter me my Lord," her mother said, color rising to her cheeks.

"Ah, but the praise is very well earned Mistress Tuarwen, your work is some of the finest that I have ever seen."

"Thank you my Lord," her mother said, beaming with praise. "Now, let us show you some swatches so we can get you the right color."

After Glorfindel had picked out the fabrics that her desired and Tuarwen was waken his measurements, Nariel had to excuse herself to change into her work attire, for the sun was climbing in the sky and the time was approaching noon.

Once she returned down stairs, Nariel was surprised to see the Lord of the Golden Flower waiting by the front door.

"Mistress, please allow me to escort you to the city gates." He asked his charming smile on his face.

Nariel could barely keep the color rising to her cheeks at his offer. Escorting her through the city during the dead of the night was one thing, but through the city during the morning, with all the elves milling about was something different entirely!

"Oh, that is not necessary my Lord, I don't need to inconvenience you like that." She said, still finding it hard to believe that he was taking this much interest in her.

"Nonsense, you are no burden. I insist, besides I must have a word with Lord Ecthelion at the gate." Unbeknownst to Nariel, he was making that up, trying to get her to agree to his offer.

"Very well, if you insist my Lord," she said, smiling, taking the arm that he offered to her.

"Farewell Mistress Tuarwen, it's a pleasure doing business with you as always."

"Farwell my Lord Glorfindel" her mother said curtseying respectfully. "And farewell pen-neth, do not stay in the mines too long." The slightly chiding tone returning to her voice as she addressed her young daughter.

This time Nariel couldn't help the color that rose to her cheeks when her mother addressed her as 'little one' in front of Lord Glorfindel.

"Yes Naneth, I won't stay too long, I should be back before mid night." Nariel said to her mother before the pair left the house and entered the crowded streets.

The journey through the city was made mostly in a comfortable silence, save when Glorfindel addressed elves who greeted him along the way.

"Tell me," he started breaking the silence as they leisurely walked toward the gate, "your family are members of the House of the Fountain are you not?" he asked, looking down to her.

"Indeed we are my Lord, Lord Ecthelion is a very good lord too, and he often inquires to my mother and me about our well being." Nariel responded, speaking highly of her Lord.

"Indeed he is, he and I are close," he said, as they reached the gate of the city.

"Well, this is where we must take our leave, Mistress Nariel. It has been a pleasure" he said, once again gracing her hand with a kiss.

"You are most kind my lord," she smiled, curtseying to him, her hand still in his. "Until next time my Lord."

He let go of her hand finally, as he inclined his head in farewell. The guards on duty in the morning knew Nariel well, and they greeted each other in kind, as they let her pass through the gates without asking for her credentials. Though she did not look back, she could feel Glorfindel's eyes upon her for several moments until she began to descend down towards the plains.

During the daytime the mine's were usually more crowded, and that day was no exception. Several miners were in the cavern on the surface, going to and fro, some taking mine carts down to the caves, and some returning, others cataloging tools and materials. Nariel greeted several other miners as she went and collected her pick, and other mining supplies that she would need before she took a cart down into the depths of the caverns.

The journey went quickly, and she soon arrived at the mine shaft, and noted a couple other carts at the end of the tracks, as well as several lit torches, indicating that others were mining. She decided to follow the lit path, taking greater care this time to pay closer attention to the lay of the cave. After several hundred paces, she heard the familiar sound of an elf picking away at rock.

As she rounded the next bend, she spotted an ellon, and she could tell right away that the ellon in question was in fact Tegalad.

"How goes the mining, mellon nin?" she shouted to him, catching his attention over the noise.

Tegalad stopped his work, and wiped the sweat from his brow as she approached.

"Very well indeed my friend, look what I stumbled upon not long ago!" he said excitedly as he dug into his pocket, and pulled out something that glistened in the torch light. Nariel held her torch closer in order to get a better look at his finding, and saw that it was a rather large sapphire.

"Well done Tegalad! That is an impressive find indeed!" she exclaimed. "This is a bountiful mine shaft indeed!"

Tegalad laughed as he placed the jewel back into his pocket. "It sure is proving so mellon. Thirty paces ahead is another branch, you can start on that one."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Nariel said as she re shouldered her pick axe.

"Oh and Nariel," he called to her as she began to walk away, "Try and keep your bearings this time around." He teased her, mirth dancing in his eyes.

"You bet I will!" she shouted back, a smile on her face.

Nariel made sure to leave torches all along the way as she scanned the walls and floor and ceiling of the cave, on the lookout for ores. Not long into her search she came across a seam of iron, which she was easily able to fill two sacks full. Gloatingly, she heaved them both over her shoulders, boasting of her find to Tegalad. The iron was a good find, as it could be made to make several different types of useful tools.

After a couple of hours, her stomach began to rumble, so she collected her most recent findings of coal and sought out to find Tegalad. The young ellon was further down his branch of the cave, picking away at coal.

"Tegalad, I think it's about time we head back up to the surface, you can show off your sapphire to the others, I'm famished."

"Very well mellon, I am in need sustenance as well." He agreed as he heaved the half full sack over his shoulder as made their way back towards the rail system.

Nariel's cart was nearly full, only leaving room for herself and her pick; it had been a bountiful start to the day indeed. She checked across the way to see if Tegalad was ready as well, which he signaled he was, before she sent her cart off on its way.

Once at the surface, they cataloged their findings in the ledger before they sat down to eat bread and dried meat. Nariel could only shake her head as Tegalad held his sapphire up to the light, turning it this way and that, letting all see how it caught the light.

Once they had returned down to the mine shaft, things went slower for Nariel than they had been earlier. She was about to turn back and head down another branch when something caught her eye. She gasped out loud when the torchlight revealed to her a very large diamond, the largest she had ever seen in her life. She couldn't hold back a squeal as she carefully extracted the precious jewel. This was a once in a lifetime find indeed!

She clutched the jewel tightly to her chest as she began to call out for Tegalad. She ran back to the junction where they had gone separate ways, and almost crashed into him, almost losing her balance she clutched the jewel tighter.

"Nariel, what is it?" he asked, out of breath, likely he had thought that something was wrong.

"Look, look what I've found, can you believe it!" she shouted with glee as she held it up to him.

"Sweet Eru!" he exclaimed as he grabbed her wrists to get a closer look. "Nariel, you have surely out done me this time!" he said smiling.

"Come, we must get back to the surface! And this time I even know the way!" she said with glee, taking his hand and leading them back to the carts. She didn't even wait for him as she jumped into her cart and sent it on its way.

Once they were at the surface, the others all looked in her direction as she jumped out of her cart, exclaiming about her find. All the miners gathered around and congratulated her on the lucky find as they all examined it in the torch light.

"Come Nariel, we should take our jewels to the jewelers and get them appraised." Tegalad said behind her once the crowd had begun to dissipate.

"Yes, let us! Oh my Naneth will be glad I became a miner tonight!" she squealed with delight as Tegalad chuckled beside her.

The guards on duty were the new recruits from the previous night, and Nariel had to hide her displeasure from being stopped and asked to show her credentials. Once through however, they resumed their journey, hoping to make it to the jewelers building before the shop was closed, as the sun had set a half hour before. Much to their relief, the jewelers were still open.

"Ah, greetings young Tegalad and Mistress Nariel, do you have any good finds more me this night?" the jeweler Eglerion asked them.

"A great find indeed Master Eglerion!" Nariel exclaimed as she held out the diamond to him.

"Velar behold!" he exclaimed as he examined the jewel. "You have a small fortune here Mistress Nariel!" he said, and once he told her the price he would offer her, she felt her knees go weak.

After the jeweler had paid her the large sum of money, as well as the amount Tegalad had gotten for his sapphire, the two departed for Nariel's house. They bid each other farewell when their paths homes split.

"Naneth! You won't believe the luck I had today!" Nariel yelled to her mother once she had closed the door.

"What did you find pen-neth?" Tuarwen asked, looking up from her needle work. She gasped and dropped it on the table once she saw the money Nariel had. "Sweet Eru, what did you find?"

"The biggest diamond that I have ever seen Naneth, this is seriously the luckiest bounty that we can come across!" Nariel said as they both headed upstairs to lock the money away in their strongbox.

"Well pen-neth, tomorrow we will certainly have to celebrate. Now it is time for us to retire, wash yourself then go to bed." Tuarwen said, kissing her daughters brow.

"Good night Naneth." Nariel said, still beaming as she bathed herself of the dirt and grime of the mines. That night Nariel certainly slept well, and once again she found that her dreams were full of happy memories, some of her father, others with Tegalad, and others were of dreams of Lord Glorfindel.

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**Thanks for reading, please leave a review, feedback is much appreciated!**


	3. Chapter 3 A Relaxing Day

**A/N:**** Well here is a long overdue update for everyone! I apologize for the long gap between updates, but hopefully this won't be happening anymore, as I have finally purchased my own computer (birthday money well spent!), so that means I won't have to share anymore so I won't have to worry as much when I misplace my flash drive (it's been known to happen more than once haha…)**

**I again wish to thank everyone who has shown support through reviews and adding this story to their alerts and favs, you have no idea how happy it makes me to know that there are people who enjoy my writing, and it makes me feel guilty for not updating as much haha!**

**Oh, and I also realized that I haven't been putting translations to the Elvish I have put into the story, so even if they are common phrases, I'll be sure from now on to do that in case anyone is unfamiliar with them.**

**Disclaimer:****I own nothing from the Tolkien Estate, however I do own all OC's and deviations from the canon universe.**

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In the morning Nariel rose with the sun, as she did every morning. On that particular morning she felt well-rested than she had in a long while, the memories of the previous day's events and her dreams from the night returning to her memory, causing a happy smile to grace her face.

As she was washing her face in the basin beside her bed, her mother came into her room,

"Good morning pen-neth, I see you have slept well."

"Good morning nana (informal for mom), yes I have, do you have any plans for today? That smile on your face is suggesting so." Nariel said, smiling in return.

"Indeed I do child, I was thinking that today you could take a day off from your duties, and perhaps we would go onto the plains, the flowers are in bloom this time of year, and I can feel that today will be a lovely day."

"That sounds like a lovely plan nana" Nariel replied

As her mother turned and exited her room, Nariel turned to her wardrobe to pick her clothing for today. As the day was more of a special occasion, she opted for one of her finer dresses, one of a blue color that went well with her dark hair and green eyes.

She braided her hair in its normal style, mostly pinned up, with only a small section behind her right ear hanging free, symboling that she had yet to reach her majority, and one small braid was woven across the crown of her head, symboling that she was unbound, and that she was not promised to anyone.

Nariel and her mother ate their breakfast as usual together seated at their small table, making plans for their day.

"I need you to run to the market again, and pick up some food for our pick nick today."

"Yes nana, any requests?" Nariel asked knowingly

A wryly smile on Tuarwens face she replied "if you happen across any green apples, please do indulge your naneth."

Both ellith laughed at this, as it was no secret between the two that Taurwen loved green apples above any other food.

"After you go to the market you may do as you wish, I need to get some more work done on the cloak that Lord Glorfindel commissioned, and around noon I'd say we'll go on our pick nick."

Nariel managed to keep the smile from her face at the mention of Glorfindels name, though she knew her mother could tell.

"Very well nana, that sounds like a good plan to me." She replied as she helped her mother to clear away the mess before she left for the market.

The streets were bustling with elves by the time Nariel reached the lesser market, and she took account of several elves that were setting up decorations around the city, preparing for the Gates of Summer Festival the following day. The festival was the biggest in the Noldorin culture, and was steeped in tradition, and it was also Nariel's favorite festival of the year.

None of the venders in the Lesser Market had any green apples, however Nariel was determined, so she decided to make the trek to the other side of the city to the Greater Market, where her hopes of finding the fruit were more likely.

After her lengthy walk to the market, Nariel was rewarded from her efforts when she spotted a vender that was selling a variety of the crisp fruit. Choosing carefully, she selected four large green fruit, happy to be able to please her mother.

On the walk back to her home, Nariel was suddenly aware of how close her trip had taken her to the residence of the House of the Golden Flower. She couldn't help the smile that came to her face as she walked past the particular building, gazing into the windows. She gasped when she saw in a window, the form of none other than Lord Glorfindel, and she could have sworn she felt his eyes on her. Quickly looking away, she sped up, not daring to look back.

By the time she reached her house Nariel was no longer so flustered over being caught looking by Glorfindel. She set her purchases on the table in the kitchen before meandering through the house, finding her mother in the work room, diligently working on the cloak that Lord Glorfindel had commissioned.

"I got everything nana, even your precious apples," Nariel said triumphantly to her mother.

"That is wonderful news pen-neth now go, a young ellith as you should be enjoying herself right now, go and enjoy yourself." Tuarwen said with a smile, shooing her daughter out of the door.

Once outside, Nariel didn't quite know what to do with herself. She had been working for essentially twelve years now, ten in her apprenticeship, and two as a full miner. After her father had passed in the mining accident, things had become tougher her and her mother, and as a result she seldom had free time to herself.

Nariel was never one to stand around idly, so she started walking down the street, and decided to go wherever her feet would take her, of course though they ended up taking her to the Fountains of the South, situated near her home, as her family was part of the House of the Fountain.

There were elegant benches situated all about the fountains for elves to come and sit by, and Nariel occupied an empty bench near the center. The sounds of the fountains were loud enough to drown out all the other sounds of the city, and Nariel found herself sitting with her eyes closed, listening to the water and letting it calm her being. She sat in her silent reverie for quite some time before a deep male voice brought her back to reality.

"Mistress Nariel, it is good to see you out of the mines, I fear that because of them I never see hide nor hair of you." Lord Ecthelion said to her good naturedly as he sat beside her on the bench.

"My Lord, it is a pleasure to see you again." She said, inclining her head in greeting to her liege lord.

"And the same to you, young one; how fare you and your mother?"

That was so like Ecthelion, he had always been a very caring and attentive liege lord, and a good leader of their household. All her life Nariel had remembered the raven haired lord seeing to her family's well-being, and even more so after her father had passed.

"She is very well my lord, thank you; you have always been most kind to us."

"You are welcome Nariel, and what kind of lord would I be if I did not look after the members of my household." He replied chucking.

"I know not my lord, but I couldn't picture you any other way." She said with a smile as he stood up, and so did she.

"Well thank you Nariel, I am afraid I must bid you good day, King Turgon needs me in counsel, I trust I shall see you and your mother at the festival tomorrow?" he asked, taking her hand and bestowing a kiss upon it in farewell.

"Indeed my lord, we wouldn't miss it for the world. And good day Lord Ecthelion, I look forward to seeing you tomorrow." She replied, bowing her head and curtseying respectfully to her liege lord.

As Ecthelion's regal form walked towards the palace, Nariel looked at the sun, deducing that she still had around two hours' time before she needed to return home. Looking towards the palace that loomed in the center of the city, she decided to head that way and walk in the gardens perhaps. Along the way however she passed the library of the city and decided to stop their instead.

The library was a quiet place, filled with two dozen elves or so at that time. The two levels of the building were filled with aisles of bookshelves as well as sitting areas for the city's inhabitants to sit back and relax as they read through tomes. Nariel walked around the aisles leisurely, tracing her fingers along the spines of each book as she passed them by. She noted books on the geography of Arda, as well as Valinor, where the majority of the inhabitants had been born, books on elven lore, of the Valar, and a variety of other subjects.

One book in particular that caught her eye was one on, what other than mining, and the art of turning jewels into precious pieces of artwork and jewelry. With a smile she took the heavy book from its place on the shelf, taking note of its location, and she sat at the closest sitting area, and read for a time of the miners of the Noldor, as well as the elves who made fine work out of the gems that were found.

After a lengthy spell reading, Nariel figured that she should return home, as it was nearing noon. So, she put the book back into its correct location of the shelf, and left the quiet of the library and went back into the noisy streets. She saw that the sun was indeed nearing its zenith, so she quickened her pace back towards her home.

She arrived just in time to see her mother finish packing up the pick nick basket they were to take with them on their little trip.

"Ah, there you are, I was wondering whether or not you had gotten lost in the street," Tuarwen said with mock anger at her daughter.

"I assure you nana, I was not lost in the streets, but in a riveting book on the Noldorin miners and jewel makers. Oh, and I also ran into Lord Ecthelion, I told him you were well as always." Nariel recounted her day to her mother as she took the basket from her as they left the house and headed toward the North Gate of the city.

"Ah, that sounds like our Lord Ecthelion indeed" Tuarwen replied with a nod as they neared the gate, greeting some elves with a few words along the way.

The guards at the gates of course knew Nariel well and they greeted her and her mother as they made to leave the city.

"Good day Mistress Tuarwen, Mistress Nariel. Off for a pick nick on the plains?" the Captain inquired kindly.

"Indeed we are Captain; it is a perfect day for such an activity." Tuarwen replied in kind.

"Yes it is, well enjoy your meal ladies," he said as they all bid each other farewell and the two ellith made their way down to the valley.

They walked in silence along a pathway that took them over a couple of small bridges that went over small streams that fed the city's moat, on towards a large gazebo with characteristic elven arches. The gazebo was built just for this purpose, allowing for an escape of the city life for its inhabitants, and was situated in a spot that allowed for a perfect view of the city as well as the Encircling Mountains.

There surprisingly few elves that was at the gazebo that day, providing an even more relaxed atmosphere for the two ellith. They opened their basket and ate their food in companionable silence for a while, listening to the sounds of the winds blowing through the long grass on the plains.

"Tomorrow is the Gates of Summer as I am sure you know," Tuarwen said quietly, then took a bite of her precious apple.

"Yes nana, I saw workers preparing for the celebration today. It should be a perfect day for the celebration tomorrow." Nariel said, equally as softly. Talk of the festival always brought back for both of them memories of her late father.

"Your ada would be proud of the beautiful young ellith you have grown to be." Tuarwen said with a tear in her eye as she gazed at her daughter.

She let out a soft laugh as she regained her composure, "I suppose I can no longer call you 'pen-neth', look at you, you'll reach your majority in two years' time. Indeed, you already have the appearance of an adult."

"Naneth!" Nariel said quietly, looking around to make sure none of the other elves in the gazebo heard her mother. This of course caused Tuarwen to laugh even more.

"Come darling, I wish to collect some flowers before we return to the city" Tuarwen said, changing the subject, much to her daughter's relief, as they began to collect their belongings in the basket.

They walked slowly back to the city, each gathering a handful of fragrant flowers that grew along the pathway.

"You know, when I was an elfing, on the mid-summers eve, my mother would have me sleep with a flower under my pillow." Tuarwen said, a far off look in her eyes as she arranged the blossoms.

"What for nana?" Nariel asked curiously as she bent to pick a yellow wild flower.

"She said it was so that that night, I would be graced with dreams of my future husband."

"Oh, and was that so nana?" she asked, curious to her mother's reply.

Smiling Tuarwen replied, "it may have, but by then I had already had my sights set on your adar, so I think my mind made have influenced the magic of the flowers too much."

They both laughed at this as they made their way up the hillside and back to the city, the pleasant scent of the flowers accompanying them the whole way.

The rest of the afternoon was spent in their house, Nariel assisting her mother with the final touches on the cloak for Glorfindel, which he had asked be delivered to his house before the evening of the festival.

"You should visit the bath house tonight, tomorrow will be busy, and I will need you to make some deliveries for me before the festival."

"As you wish nana," Nariel said, and left her mother's company, and went to her room and collected her belongings and clothing that she would need at the bath house.

The women's bath house was located near the middle of the city, and at that time of night, few elves were there usually, however, being the night before the Gates of Summer, many ellith were taking the opportunity to pretty themselves up before the big day. As it was, Nariel had a pleasant time there, chatting with other ellith her age, gossip going all around about the next day's events and other news.

It was totally dark by the time Nariel returned home, and the streets were nearly empty, so she did not run into anyone that she knew. She had been secretly hoping to run into a certain golden haired Lord, but that was not the case as she reached her doorstep.

The candles were out downstairs, telling her that her mother was already in bed, so Nariel decided to follow suit. Once she had changed into her night gown and was in bed, sleep did not come to Nariel for a while.

The day's events had brought back memories of her father, but she did not wish to be sad, so she instead thought of the coming festivities, and that made her spirits soar, and soon she drifted off to sleep, memories of the festival of years past danced through her dreams in anticipation for the following day.

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**There's the new chapter for you, do not fear, Glorfindel will make a proper appearance in the next chapter, and I swear this one will come soon!**

**Oh and the little tid bit about the flowers, that is actually a custom in Norway, something my great-grandmother used to tell me about when she was little, I just thought it would be nice to sneak a little bit of m Scandinavian heritage in there! Wow, and I also realize that this is the third chapter in a row that I have ended with Nariel drifting off to sleep! **

**As always reviews and feedback are much appreciated!**


	4. Chapter 4 A Day for Celebration

**A/N: Hello everyone! I am in a writing mood once again, this always happens after midnight it seems, I had started to work on this days ago, but the ending just wasn't clicking for me, but now I finally have it at a place where I like it, and I hope my readers do as well. And fear not, Glorfindel makes a good appearance in this chapter **

**Oh and to help following along with the time line of the First Age, this story is right now set in the year 500 of the First Age, five years after Tuor came to the city.**

**As always reviews and feedback are always appreciated!**

**Disclaimer:**** I own nothing from the Tolkien Estate, however I do own all OC's and deviations from the canon universe**

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In the morning, it was not the sun that roused Nariel from her slumber, but the sound of the front door opening and closing. She sat up in bed quickly, straining her ears for the sounds of footsteps below, but she did not hear any. Rising from her bed, she saw on the foot a piece of paper, covered in the long elegant glyphs of the Elven language, and she recognized the script as her mother's hand.

_Nariel,_

_I have left to go to the bath house; the day will be busy so I am going now while there is still a chance. I have left you some food to break your fast, and the parcels for delivery are on the table, the addresses and the recipients are marked as well. Please try and have _them_ all delivered before two this afternoon._

_All my love,_

_Your naneth Tuarwen_

Nariel looked out her window, surprised to see that the sun was much higher in the sky than she expected, it was already around eleven in the morning. It was very unlike her to not wake at sunrise, and even more unlike her mother not to wake her when she did.

With a sigh she quickly washed her face in the basin, and dressed in a simple dress before heading down the stairs to the kitchen. Waiting on the counter for her was a small breakfast of bread, a slice of cheese, milk, and the very last green apple.

Nariel wasted no time in eating her fill, needing to get a move on the deliveries. On the table she spotted over half a dozen packages, and to her dismay she saw that a couple were on the far side of the city. Downing the last of the milk, she filled her arms with as many as she could, luckily she would only need two trips to deliver them all.

The streets that morning were even more crowded than usual, all the elves in the city were in a rush to get their business done before the afternoon, because then they would all need to prepare for the festival.

After nearly an hour, she had finally delivered the last of the first bunch of packages. The crowds in the streets were getting worse by the minute, and Nariel was having difficulty navigating the tightly packed streets. She was thankful that her house was located on a side street of the city, not located near any shops, although several elves had decided to cut through on their way to the Lesser Market.

Expecting her mother to have returned by then Nariel was even more surprised to see no signs of her return. As she wondered what was keeping her mother, she gathered in her arms the last few packages needing delivery, now she was grateful that these were all mostly located much closer to her home.

After the first couple were delivered, Nariel figured she was making good time, so she let the recipient of the third package stop her for a few moments, engaging her in a conversation about the well-being of herself and her mother. Afterwards however, she realized that she shouldn't have been so idle, as the sun was climbing higher into the sky.

As she continued through the streets, she glanced at the address of the last package and her heart skipped a beat when she saw to whom it was addressed. With all of the commotion of the morning, she had nearly forgotten about the commission from Glorfindel.

Her nerves were racing as she neared the residence of the Golden Flower, never before had she actually delivered a package to the golden haired lord! She didn't know how she would react to his charms this time, all her previous encounters with him the past few days had been on her ground essentially, in areas that she was familiar and comfortable with, not in his own abode.

Her heart was beating quicker as she walked across the court yard of the lordly house, and she had to force herself to take a deep breath and steel her nerves before she knocked on the door. Only a few moments passed before a servant came and answered the door.

"How may I help you?" asked the dark haired ellon.

"Mae govannen (well met), I have a package to deliver to Lord Glorfindel." Nariel replied kindly, gesturing to the parcel in her arms.

"May I ask your name?"

"Mistress Nariel, I am delivering on behalf of my mother, the seamstress Mistress Tuarwen."

"Ah yes, the excellent seamstress, please come in, I shall show you to my lord." The servant said, opening the door wider and gesturing for Nariel to enter.

"Thank you," she said; forcing a smile to her face, she hadn't been expecting to be presented to him.

Nariel's eyes flickered around the hallway as she followed the ellon further into the house, taking note of the rich details that covered the walls and floors. '_A house fit for the kinsman of the King indeed'_ she thought to herself as she waited outside the doorway while the servant announced her to Glorfindel.

"Send her in," she heard his deep voice say from within the room.

She smiled at the servant before she walked into the doorway, the door closing behind her. The room was an office she could tell, with Glorfindel sitting behind a desk, various pieces of paperwork strewn across it, as well as a decanter of wine.

"My Lord Glorfindel," she greeted him, lowering to a curtsey

"Mistress Nariel," he returned with a smile, rising from his chair and coming around the desk to place a kiss on the back of her hand.

"You look well today. I gather that you have the cloak that I commissioned?"

"Indeed it is my lord, may I?" she asked, gesturing to the parcel

"Of course" he said, leaning back against the desk, watching her as she unwrapped the cloak from its packaging.

"Exquisite work, as always," he said quietly, tracing his fingers across the detailed embroidery on the cloak.

"I will have to thank your mother for the excellent work tonight at the festival. I trust that you will both be attending?" he inquired, taking the cloak from her and draping it across the desk.

"Of course my Lord, I wouldn't miss it for the world, it is my favorite festival of the year," Nariel replied enthusiastically.

The golden haired ellon laughed at her enthusiasm, pouring a glass of wine and taking a sip before addressing her again.

"Well I am sure that you have much to do before this evening, so I will not hold you here any longer. But I would ask that you save a dance for me, so that you may tell me all about why this celebration is your favorite."

At this Nariel did blush, and she was sure that he saw it this time, there was no darkness to hide her red cheeks from his intent gaze. She quickly managed to regain her composure before she addressed him.

"Oh, that is very kind of you my lord; I will certainly save a dance for you this evening." Nariel managed to say, to her relief without stammering.

"It is a done deal then. Please, allow me to show you out," he said kindly, his handsome smile once again on his face as he offered her his arm.

"Thank you my lord," she said, taking his extended arm.

They walked in silence down the hallway towards the front door, and he very gentlemanly opened the door for her.

"Until this evening, Mistress Nariel," he bid her farewell, kissing her hand once again.

"Farewell Lord Glorfindel," Nariel responded in kind, curtseying to him before she walked out the door and into the court yard, feeling his gaze upon her back the whole time. Biting her lip, she chanced a glance behind her before she stepped onto the street once again, and saw that he was still standing at the doorway. Their eyes met, and before she could shy away, he smiled at her, and she returned it before entering the sea of elves in the streets, allowing herself to be carried along with the crowd towards her home.

There were butterflies in her stomach as she walked up to her house, thinking about the smile they had shared, and the dance that they would share later that night. Unable to stop herself, a girlish smile found its way onto her face as she opened her front door.

"Nariel, what kept you so long?" It was Tuarwen, standing in the kitchen, looked quite flustered.

"I am sorry nana; the crowds in the streets are very thick."

"Indeed they are my darling; it is a fight to go anywhere out there today. Come, I got you something," her mother said, beckoning her daughter towards a small parcel on the kitchen table.

Nariel gasped when she say the contents of the parcel, a silver circlet, one that looked very fragile sitting nestled among the tissue paper.

"Oh naneth, it is beautiful! I do not deserve such a wonderful piece!" Nariel said in surprise.

"But of course you do my darling, in a few years' time you will be an adult in our society, it is only fitting that you receive your first circlet. Besides, you are a hard worker, harder than most, working your own trade very well, as well as assisting me in mine."

"I insist," she pressed further, seeing the apprehensive look on her daughters face.

"Very well nana, I cannot refuse my naneth now can I?" Nariel said, managing a smile.

"Now come, wash up and get your best gown on, we need to get ready." Tuarwen shooed her daughter up the stairs.

Going into her bedroom, Nariel dug all the way into the back of her wardrobe and fished out her finest gown. It was a gown of a light yellow color, and had delicate embroidery along the bodice, neckline and sleeves, as well as along the bottom of the full skirt. To go with the dress, Nariel picked out her finest pair of slippers, deciding that a heeled shoe would not be suitable for a night full of dancing.

After donning the gown, Nariel paused to look at herself in the mirror, smoothing out the fabric and tugging everything into place. As her mother was a fine seamstress, all of her clothing fit her well, this she could not deny. And as she gazed back at her reflection in the mirror she realized that she did look like a fully mature elleth, her curves now fully developed. Mindful of her skirt, she joined her mother in the kitchen, and Tuarwen was already changed into her own gorgeous gown.

"You look lovely naneth," Nariel said from the doorway of the kitchen,"

"As do you my darling, come I shall fix up your hair," Tuarwen said, patting the chair in front of her.

Nariel sat in front of her mother as her nimble fingers picked apart the braids and pins she had put in earlier, and re-pinned and braided her hair, weaving the circlet into her strands as well. After her mother had finished, they switched spots, and Nariel did up her mother's hair, and weaved her circlet into it as well.

"There now nana, we both look lovely," Nariel said with a smile as they exited the house, and made their way towards the household of Lord Ecthelion. It was tradition that all the elves would go to the house of their liege lord before the festival, and once the sound of the seven o'clock bell tolled, each House would travel to the Square of the King in front of the palace, the Lord of each House leading the procession to being the celebration.

The home of Lord Ecthelion was so full of the elves of the House of the Fountain, that everyone was in the courtyard, milling about and conversing with each other, all the while eating the finger foods that would serve as their evening meal. Amongst the crowd Nariel quickly spotted her good friend Tegalad, who looked very sharp in his finest tunic and leggings.

"Ah, you look lovely tonight Mistress Tuarwen, Mistress Nariel," he said, greeting them both in kind.

"Thank you Tegalad," Tuarwen responded in kind, before she was whisked away into a conversation with Lord Ecthelion's wife, Lady Antiel, leaving the two friends to converse alone.

"Thank you Tegalad, I must say, you look quite charming when you're not covered in coal dust." Nariel said with a chuckle.

"The same can be said for you mellon!" Tegalad replied and they both laughed.

For the next half hour the two friends conversed and ate food with other young elves their age, waiting for the bell to toll and Lord Ecthelion to lead their house in the procession to the Square of the King. Finally the bell tolled, and Lord Ecthelion and his wife stood at the entrance of the courtyard, calling together everyone's attention.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the time has come for our great house to make the annual procession to the Square of the King for the beginning of this year's Gates of Summer!"

A cheer went up in the crowd as everyone filed in line behind their Lord and Lady, and began walking towards the palace. As the Fountains of the South were passed, all idle chatter was ended, as each elf listened to the sounds of the waters. Somewhere in the procession an elleth began to sing ancient song, about the Vala Ulmo, Lord of the Seas, and his dominion of the great sea and its currents.

And so it was that the House of the Fountain arrived at the Square of the King, the entire procession singing the hallowed song, waiting for the rest of the Twelve Houses to arrive. As the song came to an end, the remaining households had trickled in, standing in a semi-circle in front of the palace.

King Turgon and his daughter Princess Idril stood in front of the palace, each holding a lit torch in their hands. The King addressed the people of the city as he did every year, giving his speech about the beginning of summer and the lush growing season it brought to Arda.

Once the ceremonial speech was ended, the King and his daughter both approached the massive pile of wood and kindling set in the middle of the Square, and together they lit the wood, lighting the traditional bonfire. Cheers erupted from the crowd, and the minstrels began the music, a lively song.

By tradition, the King and the highest ranking lady, Idril, started the first dance, with the Lords of the twelve houses joining in as well. Everyone looked along merrily as the leaders of the city all danced across the square, and Nariel caught sight of Glorfindel, his new cloak on his shoulders, dancing with his sister Miluiel, a joyous look upon both of their faces.

After the first dance had ended, the elves filled the square with loud applause, and the minstrels struck up another lively tune. This time the rest of the elves of the city were welcome to join in, and soon the dance floor was filled with elves, all merrily circling around the bonfire. Tegalad grabbed Nariel's hand, and dragged her onto the dance floor, and they were quickly swept up along with the crowd.

For three songs straight they danced together, and in the crowd Nariel picked out her mother dancing with the jeweler to whom she had sold her diamond. Soon after however, Tegalad was replaced with a new partner, the Captain of the Guards with whom she was so familiar with. And for two more songs she and the Captain danced across the square, until she finally had to excuse herself and rest for a moment.

On the edge of the Square were several tables lined with pitchers of water as well as wine. Knowing that her elders were watching her, she did not reach for the wine, but instead for the water, she would be able to drink the alcoholic beverage in a few short years anyhow. As she sipped her drink and caught her breath, Nariel continued to watch the dancing, and saw Tegalad twirling around with a young elleth he had been watching for years now.

"Mistress Nariel, would you care to join me for the next dance?" Nariel recognized the voice, it belonged to none other than the Lord of the Golden Flower, and it was all she could do not to choke on her water.

"Lord Glorfindel, I would be honored," she said, placing her water down and bowing her head.

She took his outstretched arm as they walked to the edge of the crowd, waiting for the next song to end before rejoining the dancing elves. It was just her luck that when the song ended, the next one that started up was much slower than the others. Nariel could feel the stares of other ellith upon her as the golden lord led her onto the dance floor. She put a hand on his shoulder, and one of his hands rested on her waist, their free hands were entwined together, and the pair began to twirl around the dance floor along with the rest.

"Have you been enjoying the celebration thus far?" He asked, striking up the conversation between the two.

"Very much so my lord," she said smiling as they continued to dance.

"Tell me Nariel, I am curious to know why this festival is your favorite"

"Oh, well I would suppose that it is because summer is my favorite season of the year, and the festival falls a week after my begetting day, and I do love going up on the walls, even if it is just once a year." She explained, as was the tradition of going onto the walls of the city at midnight to sing hymns about summer.

"Your begetting was last week? Well then I wish you a belated happy begetting." He said with a smile as the song came to an end, but they remained dancing as the next began.

"Thank you my lord that is very kind of you." Nariel said and they lapsed into a silence for a while before he spoke again.

"You really enjoy the chance to go onto the walls?" he asked, his eyes connecting with hers.

"Yes, it is wonderful to see the valley from atop the walls of the city; it is about as different a view as one can get from the bottom of the mines where I usually spend my time."

"Would you like to experience the celebration from a different perspective this year Mistress Nariel?"

"My lord, what do you mean?" she asked, confused by what he meant.

"Please, follow me," he said, taking her arm and leading her off of the dance floor as the song ended, and towards the walls of the city.

"My lord Glorfindel, I must ask where we are going?" she said breathlessly as he led them through the dark streets of the city, towards a looming watchtower embedded in the wall of the city.

Once the pair was far enough away from the Square, he slowed his pace down, and placed his hand on the small of her back, and explained to her.

"That watchtower there is the one that the Golden Flower is assigned to man all year round. From its peak the view of the stars, as well as the elves of the city as they sing is un-paralled. I think you will find that it is the best way to experience the celebration this evening."

"Oh, thank you my lord, you are so kind to me," Nariel said with a smile, and she then surprised them both by standing up on the tips of her toes and lightly kissing him on his cheek in thanks.

"You are welcome Nariel, think of this as my gift to you for your begetting."

They made the rest of the journey in silence as they ascended the stairs to the top of the tower. The wind at that elevation was stronger than Nariel had expected, and chillier too. Ever the gentleman, Glorfindel removed his new cloak from his shoulders, and placed it upon her own, and she thanked him quietly as they stood side by side, gazing at the stars, waiting for the elves to begin their trek up to the top of the walls and begin their songs.

"This is wonderful," Nariel said softly, breaking the easy silence between them.

"I had hoped that you would like it," Glorfindel replied, equally as softly as he moved his arm to rest around her shoulders, pulling her closer to him.

"Forgive me for being so frank my lord, but why have you suddenly taken such an interest in me? I mean I am just a miner, no lady of the Noldor of this city." Nariel felt that she had to get that off of her chest. As much as she had been enjoying the attentions she had been receiving from Glorfindel the past few days, she was curious as to why, and maybe even a little wary.

"Nariel," Glorfindel began, taking her chin in his hand and turning her to face him so their eyes met.

"You have always held my interest, ever since I had heard of a young elleth who had decided to pursue a career as I miner, just like her father before her. Even though females are seen as equals in our society, not many ellith decide to pursue careers that are usually taken up by the Ellyn.

"Ecthelion has also spoken highly of you on many occasions. I think you are far too humble about yourself Nariel, you are beautiful, a hard worker and are always very respectful."

"You flatter me my lord," Nariel said, color rising to her cheeks, averting her eyes from his gaze.

"See, that is exactly what I am talking about Nariel," he chuckled, and she met his eyes again.

"Glorfindel, what exactly are you saying to me?" Nariel asked her voice low.

He moved a stray hair out of her face, his hand then cradling her neck.

"I am saying that I like you very much, and if it pleases you, I would like to kiss you now."

Nariel thought that her heart would beat out of her chest for sure when those words left his mouth. Gathering her courage she answered him before she lost her will.

"Would it please me? Yes of course cheeky elf,"

A moment later, his lips were on hers, it was a soft kiss, as she was timid and he hesitant. All in all, Nariel deemed that it was a wonderful first kiss. The pair eventually broke apart, Nariel not knowing what to do with her hands began to play with the edges of the cloak in her hands.

"Was that your first kiss?"

"Yes it was, and it was wonderful," she looked back up at him, unable to stop herself from smiling as he did.

"Then I count myself lucky being the ellon to be the first to bestow a kiss upon your lips."

They stood in silence for a few minutes more, listening to the sounds of the elves singing before they decided to begin the descent down the tower and back to Nariel's home. The streets were empty; most of the elves were still at the Square or at the walls, so no one witnessed as the two elves walked hand in hand through the dark streets.

"When shall I see you again my lord?" Nariel asked, breaking the silence of the night

"I should hope in the morning, I have the guard duty the rest of the night at the west gate. What time do you plan on going to the mines?"

"An hour or so after sunrise, and I'll likely stay all day, I've lost some time the past two days."

"Very well, I shall not leave the gate until you arrive." By this point they had finally reached the door of Nariel's home.

"Thank you for this wonderful night my lord," Nariel said as she removed his cloak from her shoulders, and stood on her toes to put it back onto his own broad shoulders.

Her breath caught in her throat again as he bent down and kissed her for the second time that night, her hands gripping onto his shoulders as he did so.

"Until the morning," He said softly

"Until the morning," she agreed, looking back at him as she opened the door, and they shared a smile before it closed again.

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**I hope you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review, hearing from readers is always wonderful!**


	5. Chapter 5 Rumbling From the Deep

**A/N: Hello everyone! I sincerely apologize for the long wait for this chapter, I had to focus my time on working on a huge project for A.P. U.S. History before school started, and the whole time I was dog sitting my neighbor's puppy whilst they were in Vegas for a week, and then my muse just utterly abandoned me, but luckily it returned to me **

**I have an idea for a **_**The Avengers**_** fic, but I want to get some more chapters of this story done before I begin to work on it.**

**As always reviews and feedback are always appreciated!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing from the Tolkien Estate, however I do own all OC's and deviations from the canon universe**

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The next few days went by uneventfully for Nariel and her mother, in the mornings she would leave for the mines, and return in the evenings, either seeing Glorfindel on the way out of the city or on the return journey.

At the end of the week, it was late in the night, and Nariel found herself restless and unable to sleep. After tossing and turning for a while, she decided to give up on sleep, and head early to her work, and maybe spend some time in the afternoon assisting her mother with her sewing.

By the light of the moon she dressed into her work attire, and while eating some bread she left Tuarwen a note, explaining where she would be so early in the morning. The city was eerily quiet; the other inhabitants were in their beds still.

The guards that were on duty at the gates let her pass with a nod, and the wind of the plains surrounding the city where blowing strongly, and Nariel then wished that she brought her cloak with her. After the windy walk to the mines, the main cavern was a welcome escape from the outdoors.

Nariel was surprised to see that others were there as well; a few mine carts were missing and a pair of Ellyn (plural for male elves) taking inventory on supplies nodded to her in greeting. After signing into the ledger and gathering supplies that would last her a while, Nariel took a mine cart that would take her deep into the mines.

The particular area of the mines that she had decided to go to she knew quite well, it was an older section that had been explored thoroughly, save for a few caves. The journey took some time, and it was long stretches like that in the mine cart that always brought back memories of her father, and the times he would take her to the mines and show her different ores and jewels.

Once she had reached her destination she saw that there was no one else in the mine shaft. She used her flint to light the torches that were in brackets on the walls near the entrance, and used those to light her own torch before she began the walk into the cavern. Along her way Nariel lit other torches that were on the walls, making sure that no what she wouldn't lose her way this time. After walking quite a ways Nariel had finally reached the point where she did not know her way, this was where she would begin to prospect for ores.

Over the next few hours she collected an assortment of tin, coal, and iron ores. By the time she had decided to sit down and take a break, she was deep in the cave, but torches lit her way back. She figured that it had to be day break by then; others might soon join her down there. After resting for a few minutes she got back to work, chipping away at a seam of copper she had discovered.

It was then that the trouble started. Concentrating on her work, Nariel didn't notice the faint rumbling until it was too late. By the time she realized that she was about to be in the middle of a cave in, she knew she was too far in to make a run back to the mine carts. Rocks above her began to fall as she made a mad dash, following the torches, her pickaxe and collected ores all forgotten.

The next thing she knew, fallen rocks had blocked her path, forcing her to skid to a halt, but she couldn't turn back, as more rocks began to fall. She was trapped, but yet the cave in did not stop. Nariel raised her hands above her in a futile attempt to protect her head as rocks came crashing around her. One hit her foot, causing her to lose her balance on fall to the ground, leaving her at the mercy of more deadly rocks.

A large boulder landed on her legs and couldn't help the scream that escaped her lungs. Then the darkness took her.

Meanwhile, in the cavern at the ground level, several miners had arrived to start their days work, including Tegalad. There was no mistaking the rumble from the cave in, and all talking stopped for a few moments as fear crept into the hearts of the miners.

Then it was chaos. The elders began to shout orders to the others,

"Grab shovels, buckets, picks!"

"I think it was at the east end, it felt like an older shaft!"

"Was anyone down there?" Tegalad shouted over the noise, he knew Nariel usually arrived early, and he didn't see her, and worry was eating away at him.

"I believe young Nariel went that way!" shouted an ellon who had been inventorying supplies when she had arrived.

"Ho! What has happened?" all looked to the arrival of Lord Maeglin, the Kings nephew and the leader of The House of the Mole, and the cities miners.

"A cave in my Lord, and we believe that Mistress Nariel and possibly others could be trapped!" answered an elder.

"Quickly now, get down there, start the search! And you," he pointed at Tegalad and another young ellon,

"Run to the city, one of you go to the guild, gather who ever may be there, as well as maps of the mine shaft, and the other get the guards on duty, we can use their help with the search."

"Yes my Lord," they both said before sprinting of to the city.

Glorfindel had been on guard duty since the dawn, and he now stood at the top of the tower at the north gate of the city. His keen elven senses had let him feel the rumble in the earth, and he immediately suspected a cave in in the mines. His fears were confirmed when the workers that had been making their way towards the mines began running to the cavern, whilst two others he saw sprinting in the direction of the city.

He sprang into action, quickly descending the tower, gathering any of his men that he encountered along the way. The golden haired elf reached the gate just moments before the two Ellyn running towards the city.

"My Lord," one said, skidding to a halt before him. He recognized him as Tegalad, a young miner.

"There has been a cave-in at the mines, Lord Maeglin sent me to get some of your guards to help with the search."

"We will certainly help," Glorfindel said, waving to his men to go to the mines.

"Tell me, do you know who is caught in the accident?"

"Yes my lord, we believe Mistress Nariel is trapped."

Glorfindel could feel the blood draining from his face while his heart stopped. He couldn't imagine anything bad happening to her, he cared for her deeply. And he could only imagine what her poor mother would feel like; she had already lost her husband to a similar accident.

"Tegalad, I need you to get Lord Ecthelion, he should be the one to tell her mother, and please stay with her."

The first thing Nariel felt when she regained consciousness was pressure. There was pressure on both of her legs, as well as her right arm. Breathing felt difficult, like a weight was on her chest as well, she didn't have any light to see but she could deduce that another rock was on top of her chest, constricting her breathing.

She thought it odd that she didn't feel any pain, and to her dismay she couldn't seem to make a sound, it was like her voice had abandoned her. She managed to move her left arm around, and felt that there was indeed a boulder on her chest, that what was allowing her to only take shallow breaths.

She didn't know how long she lay there in the darkness, but gradually pain began to consume her world. Deep down she was grateful for that pain, she knew that meant there was a chance she might walk again someday, but it was also the most excruciating pain she had ever felt in her whole life.

In the distance she started to hear the sound of other elves, the search party she assumed. Through the cloud of pain she heard many male voices shouting, calling her name, asking if she could hear them, where she was. But try as she might, Nariel couldn't make herself say anything, for she could hardly draw much of a breath, and her throat felt so dry.

With her left hand she felt a rock that was small enough for her to pick up, and she gathered all her strength, and lifted it, hitting it against a boulder to her side repeatedly.

Nariel put all of her concentration into hitting the rock, she didn't know for how long she did it for, but she knew that if she continued that there was a greater chance of being found, and she needed to focus on staying awake.

The sounds of pickaxes and shovels and the workers sounded near now, on the other side of the rocks that blocked her way to begin with. But that was when the darkness began to take her again. Nariel fought it as much as she could, concentrating on hitting the rock, but nearly the moment the other miners broke through to where she was trapped, and she was sucked into the oblivion once again.

The oblivion soon turned into dreams, memories of her childhood, of her Adar, and visions of places she knew not.

She saw visions of picnics with her parents, of being still a small elfing, chasing her father on the plains, of happy times.

She saw her parents together, it must have been in Tirion, for the city looked much like Gondolin, and everything was brighter, which must have been from the light of the Two Trees.

But then she saw a scene she was not familiar with. She saw from a distance a lone elf with long golden hair standing atop a tower at Tirion, overlooking the Great Sea. He looked regal, elegant, and he held and air of authority around him that she could tell was there even from the distance. Yet something about this elf seemed so familiar, she recognized the broad shoulders and his stance, but as he turned around, the vision ended before she could see his face.

The next thing she knew she was in a bed, her head was propped up on soft pillows, she could feel splints on both of her legs and her right arm. Someone had her left hand held in a firm grip. When she opened her eyes, light was streaming in through the windows, casting a soft glow in the room.

To her left she saw her mother, who was sitting on a chair beside the bed she was in, worry lines creased her forehead, yet she was asleep, her head resting on the mattress. To her right she was somewhat surprised to see Glorfindel, sitting on a chair much like her mother, he was looking out the window, lost in thought.

Nariel tried to speak, but she found that her throat was very dry, so all that came out was a croaking sound. That was all it took to gain Glorfindels attention however.

"Nariel," he breathed, and for a moment they looked at each other, before he snapped back to reality.

"You must be thirsty, forgive me," he said and rose from the chair, pouring a glass of water from a pitcher on the side table. The elf-lord gently put a hand behind her neck and helped her to lift her head as she drank down the water.

After he put the glass back on the side table he did not leave her side, but he carefully sat on the mattress beside her, wary of her splinted right arm. Nariel closed her eyes at the feeling of Glorfindel stroking her hair, it felt good, soothing.

"Where…where am I?"

"The House of the Golden Flower, the healers thought it would be best, since it is close to the north gate. You've been out for three days."

Nariel couldn't believe her ears, three days!

"Careful now, don't breath too deeply, the healers said you have three broken ribs, as well as both of your legs and your right arm." He looked away for a moment before his eyes connected with hers again.

"I was so worried, everyone was, and we feared we would lose you. Your dear naneth hasn't left your side in two days. Ssh, no don't wake her; she hasn't slept all that time either."

"Glorfindel," Nariel called out quietly, "It hurts, everything hurts so much," a tear slipped from her eye as she spoke, the pain coming back to her suddenly.

"Ssh, pen-neth (little one), one moment," Glorfindel said quickly as he rose up, and into the glass on the side table he poured an unknown liquid for Nariel to drink.

"Here now, I know it smells foul, but it will help numb the pain, and it will help you to sleep. There, you will feel better now," he said as he helped her to drink the pain draught.

"Thank you," Nariel said softly, and she willed the nasty concoction to work quickly and ease her suffering.

"Glorfindel please don't go,"

"Never pen-neth, now sleep, you will feel better when you wake," he kissed her softly on the lips and continued to stroke her face and hair as sleep began to overtake Nariel.

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**Again I apologize for the long wait, but now that my muse has returned I shall have some more chapters rolling out soon. As always reviews and feedback are much appreciated!**


	6. Chapter 6 The Road to Recovery

**A/N: Hello Everyone! Here is another chapter! Surprisingly I can't think much of anything to say for this one other than to enjoy and to please leave a review, it makes me very happy :]**

**Oh I thought of something haha, school for me starts the 5****th**** of September, so updates may be a bit more spaced out, as this will be my junior year of high school and this one counts a lot, but I shall not abandon this fic!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing from the Tolkien Estate, however I do own all OC's and deviations from the canon universe**

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Despite the fact that elves healed at a remarkable pace, the healers who attended upon Nariel predicted that she would remain bedridden in the Golden Flower for as long as two months. The mere thought of being stuck in a bed for two months sounded like torture to Nariel. For her entire life she had been doing something, running errands for her parents, helping her mother sew, and then working in the mines.

The worst part about it was hearing the activity on the streets below. She could just picture the masses of people making their way about the city; her limbs itched to do so as well.

Nariel was almost never alone though. Lord Glorfindel had graciously let Tuarwen take up residence in another room in the Golden Flower so she could be with her daughter. Whenever she wasn't back at their home taking up new commissions, she spent most of her time with Nariel as she sewed, keeping her mind occupied with conversation and helping to attend to her needs. Tegalad came to visit after his mining shifts as well, keeping her informed of what was happening at the mines.

Glorfindel also spent much time with her whenever his duties as Lord of the Golden Flower allowed him to. Often times he would bring a book with him, and he would sit on the side of the bed while he read aloud to her, his free hand stroking her hair, or holding her left hand.

Nariel greatly enjoyed the nights when it was his caresses, soft spoken words and his kisses that put her to sleep instead of the foul pain draught.

It was one night in particular, a month into her recovery that she was grateful that he had come to visit her. Nariel had been left to her own muses most of the day, Tegalad she assumed working all day in the mines, and Tuarwen busy running errands and deliveries. She couldn't hold a book open with only one hand, so reading wasn't an option, one of the servants in the house had sat with her a while before she had to return to her duties, and on top of it all she was cranky from getting a pitiful nap during the day.

By the time Glorfindel entered her room that night Nariel had tears of frustration running down her cheeks. Seeing Nariel in such a state tugged at his heart strings as he rushed towards her.

"Shhh, do not cry lirimaer (lovely one), do not cry so," He said softly, wiping away her tears with the cuff of his sleeve.

"I am so sick of this Glorfindel. Lying in bed all day, not being able to do anything, I hate it, I am only a burden to others."

"Shh lirimaer, you will be better soon. And do not say such things, you are a burden to no one, everyone who is helping to care for you finds it no burden, for we all know you would gladly do the same for us, because that is the kind of person you are."

Nariel closed her eyes as he placed gentle kisses along her forehead, tip of her nose, both her cheeks, and finally a lingering kiss to her lips.

"Would you like the sleeping draught now?" he asked her, his forehead resting against hers.

She shook her head, "no, I am sick of that foul concoction, for even the sleep it gives me is dreamless."

"Would you rather I stay with you until you fall asleep then?"

"Mm, saes (please), that would be much better,"

"As you wish lirimaer," Glorfindel chuckled, kissing her lips again before he moved to lie down beside her.

Ever mindful of her splinted limbs, Glorfindel eased himself next to her on her left side, and being careful of her legs he gathered her into his arms, leaning her back against his chest.

Nariel sighed aloud and leaned into his touch, this was a much better way to be put to sleep rather than the pain draught. And soon with his caresses and the soft words he whispered in her ear, sleep soon overtook Nariel.

Glorfindel lay with her for a while longer, just listening to her breathing, and to feel her chest rise and fall against him with every breath that she took. After some time though he did reluctantly ease her out of his hold, and made sure to arrange the pillows for her and tuck her in before he left.

By the next month the splint on her right arm had been removed, finally allowing Nariel to at least be able to read to pass the time away. Once the splint had come off Tegalad and Tuarwen brought Nariel a steady supply of books to read from the city library.

And a couple of weeks later, the healers had finally allowed for the splints on her legs to come off. Of course walking did not happen right away. For two weeks Nariel had to spend time doing leg exercises to build up the muscle mass she had lost for being bed ridden for nearly three months.

With help from her mother, one day Nariel had been able to hobble over to a chair next to the window. It was so refreshing to be able to sit and look out the window and see all the people of the city go about their daily business. It felt good to feel the sun on her face and after a time Nariel drifted off to sleep.

That was how Glorfindel found her when he entered her room that evening, passed out in the chair by the window. For once he noted, her expression wasn't so gloomy or pained, but her face looked more relaxed. With a smile on his face he crossed the room and knelt down beside the chair in which she sat, and gently stroked her hair. After a few moments, his fingers accidently brushed the tip of Nariel's ear. At the sudden contact, Nariel awoke with a shudder, her eyes jumping open, connecting with Glorfindels.

"I am sorry, my fingers slipped, I did not mean to wake you,"

"It is alright my lord; it wasn't a bad wake to awaken"

"You know, you do not have to address me so formally when we are alone,"

"As you wish" Nariel smiled when she had to bite her tongue to stop herself from saying my lord.

"Did you walk to the chair? Or did someone carry you?"

Nariel chuckled "Well I do not now if you could call it walking; it was more like hobbling with help from my naneth"

"How do your legs feel then are they still painful?"

"Well, they are definitely still quite weak, but the pain is much more bearable. And it felt so good to be able to move again."

"Would you like to try and walk again?"

"Yes, if you wouldn't mind helping me,"

"You know you need not ask for my assistance," Glorfindel chuckled as he helped Nariel to rise from the chair.

"Slowly now saes," Nariel said as Glorfindel held onto her left hand while his other rested on her waist as she began to take slow, shaky steps towards the door.

"Easy now lirimaer, do not rush yourself" Glorfindel said softly, holding tighter to her waist when he felt her falter.

"I am fine, just rusty is all," Nariel said, and Glorfindel noticed that her breath was becoming a little labored.

When she had stumbled a few moments later, Glorfindel wasted no time into scooping her up into his arms; he would take no chances with her over exerting herself.

"That is enough now, if you push yourself too hard now then you could put yourself into much worse condition."

"Glorfindel, will you just hold me saes?" Nariel asked meekly from the crook of his neck.

"Forever lirimaer," he said softly as he returned to the chair by the window with Nariel in his arms.

For over an hour the two sat together in a content silence, Nariel had her face buried into the crook of his neck, her fingers playing with the ties of his tunic, while Glorfindel held her onto of him, his free hand playing with her long dark strands of hair.

"Would you like me to read to you until you fall asleep?" Glorfindel asked in a soft voice, breaking the silence.

"Yes saes, that would be lovely," Nariel said, lifting her head to look up at him, only to have his warm soft lips connect with hers in a long lingering kiss.

Glorfindel smiled down at her once the kiss finally ended and carried her to the bed, gently setting her down before going to the bedside table, and selecting a book to read to Nariel. Nariel made room for Glorfindel on the bed, and after he lay down beside her, she rested her head on his chest and draped her arm around his middle as he got comfortable. The sound of his deep voice resonating through his chest as he read helped Nariel to quickly drift to sleep.

Once Glorfindel felt that Nariel's breathing had evened out and he knew she was asleep he closed the book, but he continued to lay with her a while longer, it was a habit of his he had been beginning to form as of late.

As the weeks of Nariel's recovery went on, the healers had her walking around more and more each day, and soon she was able to move around her room on her own, as well as around the House of the Golden Flower.

And one day four months into her recovery Nariel had finally been given permission to leave the house and explore the gardens. Her ribs had finally healed, so she found no more pain in bending over, and she was eagerly looking forward to picking some flowers.

She was standing in front of a mirror in her room, just finishing doing her hair in its normal style, when there was a knock on the door.

"Enter," Nariel called as she finished up the braid at the crown of her head.

"Good afternoon lirimaer, I just ran into one of your healers, he tell me you have been given leave to explore our gardens. And it looks to me like you are headed there now, would it be too much to ask to be your escort?"

"Not at all, I would greatly enjoy having you show me around the gardens," Nariel said with a smile.

"This way, pen-neth," Glorfindel said with his charming smile on his face, and he extended his arm out for her to take. And ever the gentleman, Glorfindel made sure he helped Nariel into her cloak, as the autumn had finally settled in, and the air was growing chilly.

The gardens of the House of the Golden Flower were large, and were laid in a circular design, with small pathways of different flowers, each with an arbor at the tail end, and all led towards a small pavilion in the center, and small fountains were scattered here and there.

"It is a lovely garden," Nariel said as they walked through the pathways.

"Thank you, my gardener Lothiriel certainly prides herself with her work. It is a shame you did not get a chance to see it during the summer when more flowers were in bloom. I am afraid now all that is left fully blooming are the Uilos."

"Nevertheless, Lothiriel has done a magnificent job, I can tell even if most of the flowers will no longer bloom."

The couple walked around the entirety of the garden before Glorfindel noticed that Nariel was beginning to tire.

"Let us go to the pavilion, you are still not yourself," He said to her and led them in the direction of the pavilion.

"Soon I shall be," Nariel said with a smile as they sat down on a bench in the wooden structure.

For a few minutes they sat in a silence together, listening to the sounds of nature, something Nariel had not heard in a long time.

"You know lirimaer, I think you did your hair wrong," Glorfindel said casually.

"How so? I did not do anything different," Nariel said, instantly running her hands through her hair.

Chuckling Glorfindel answered, "I think you need to add a second braid at the crown of your head."

"A second braid? But that would symbolize…." Her voice drifted off when his words sunk in.

"That you were being courted by someone," He finished when her voice died.

"Do not worry, I have already asked your naneth, she gives her blessing, now all that remains is your consent." He said, taking both of her hands in his.

Nariel could scarcely believe her ears; she did not think that Glorfindel would ask for permission to court her so soon after their informal relationship had begun. And of course this would be revealing their relationship to the public.

"We do not have to take this step so soon if you do not feel ready," Glorfindel softly assured her when he saw the hesitation in her eyes.

"No, I would love to be courted by you," she said with a smile.

"But you wonder what others will think about it," he said, seeing right through her.

"Yes, I mean a little, but really I care not what others think"

"Then it is a yes?" he was smiling again.

"It is a yes," Nariel replied, her smile now as big as his.

"Now I can call you meleth (love) in public," he said before giving her another long lingering kiss.

"The only thing is, you and your mother will have to move back to your house. I fear we may have a scandal on our hands with you living under the same roof as I while we are not betrothed."

"Oh dear, how will I fall asleep at night then?" Nariel wondered aloud.

"Fear not meleth, you will be sure to see me every day." He assured her, caressing her cheek with his hand, and Nariel leaned into his touch, savoring the feeling.

"Shall we go back inside? The wind is picking up, and I think it is lunch time."

"Yes, it would not be good for you to catch a cold right now, we shall return. And I think we need a meal fit for a celebration."

The pair smiled at hear other as they stood and walked back towards the house, arm in arm.

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**A/N: Well there is the next chapter, I hope you enjoyed it, and as always reviews and feedback are greatly appreciated!**


	7. Chapter 7 New Developments

**A/N: I'm back! *hides behind rock* at this point I don't even think I'm going to bother saying much on why I was gone, I'll just say that life got in the way, and my muses utterly abandoned me. I had no idea where to take this story (I still kind of don't), but I really want to get something out there.**

**Thanks to LalaithElerrina for her review that really got me feeling guilty for leaving this in the dark for so long, that was the push I finally needed to get going again. And of course thanks to everyone else who reviewed so long ago, still love you guys!**

**This is my mood right now:**

**(Said in Elwood Blues voice) Its 2 am, I can't sleep, just washed my face, thinking of Glorfindel, it's time to write some Fan Fiction.**

******Disclaimer: I own nothing from the Tolkien Estate, however I do own all OC's and deviations from the canon universe.**

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It soon became known throughout the city of the new courtship of Glorfindel and Nariel, causing a great deal of attention to be given to the couple. Nariel at first didn't know how to react at first, all her life she had never been a fan of being the center of attention by many people, and now the entire city was fawning over their dearly loved Glorfindel and the young elleth.

Nariel and her mother had moved back to their own home- though she had yet to return to the mines- but still there was a buzz of excitement and looks that followed her every time she left the house it seemed. Indeed, to the young elleth it was almost overwhelming.

Thoughts were swarming in her head one day not long after she had returned home, organizing some fabrics and completely oblivious to her surroundings when suddenly an arm wrapped itself around her waist and a kiss was placed upon her temple.

"It is good to see you again meleth," Glorfindels smooth voice sounded in her ear. She couldn't help but first jump in surprise at his sudden appearance, and then smile as he kissed her head. Her smile dropped however once she turned around in his arms and took note of the fact that the golden lord was dressed in full armor.

"What is going on Glorfindel, did something happen?" worry etched itself into her face, fearing that the city was in danger, but a kiss from his lips erased those thoughts for a moment.

"Nothing out of the ordinary lirimaer, but unfortunately, the time has come for my house to man the Great Gate, and I must depart the city for a month's time." Nariel frowned at this; the twelve houses of the Gondolindrim rotated which house had the responsibility of manning the Seventh Gate of the Orfalch Echor that led into the valley.

"It shall be the longest month of my life," she said sadly as she rested her head against his armor covered chest. "Though I hope that by the time you return the people of the city shall stop ogling at the sight of either one of us." Nariel could feel his laughter rumble through his chest as she lifted her head up again to look into his eyes, his hand resting upon her cheek.

"Don't worry lirimaer, soon people's attention shall drift elsewhere, and we can enjoy each other's company without the attention of the entire city turning their heads to look at us both." He assured her, pressing another kiss to her forehead.

"I must leave now meleth, but rest assured that during my leave my thoughts shall never stray far from your fair face, nor your open heart"

"Take care my dear Glorfindel, may the Valar keep you in your duties and deliver you back to the city and to me free from harm. You shall never leave my thoughts," she said, and stretched up onto the tips of her feet to reach his lips and gave him a very long kiss, full of feeling and love, their arms wrapped around each other, reluctant to let go.

The month while the Golden Flower manned the Great Gate seemed to drag on in eternity for Nariel, who would lie awake in bed each night, wishing for it to end. During that time life for her and Tuarwen went back to being as normal as it could get. Nariel continued to run errands for her mother and assisted her at the seamstress shop. It was also during this time that Nariel returned to the mines for the first time since the accident.

Tegalad accompanied her to the mines, on strict orders from Tuarwen and the healers that there was to be no heavy lifting for Nariel. That however turned out to be unneeded, for it turned out that Lord Maeglin of the Mole was there that day, and informed Nariel that she would not be mining for quite some time. He set to her the task of keeping track of all the materials and equipment used, as well as the treasures and resources that were hauled up each day.

Nariel was glad at this tiding, for though she said nothing, there was fear in her heart to return to the caverns so soon, so she was content with her new administrative responsibilities. Much more of her time was now spent in the miner's guild, keeping records and maps, and taking inventory. The late nights that she spent working helped to keep her occupied while awaiting the return of Glorfindel.

Nariel was also very happy to note that the inhabitants of the city seemed to pay her no more attention than they had before her courtship with the Chief of the Golden Flower.

Glorfindels return at the conclusion of the month brought great joy into Nariel's heart, as well as his own. Now that that major responsibility was out of the way, he could focus on the courtship between the two.

As the months passed much of his free time was spent with her in one way or another, visiting her home, taking her to the Golden Flowers watchtower, and walks through the Square of the Folkwell or the plains surrounding the city. This time was taken so that the couple could get to know each other more, and to explore the depths of their feelings for each other.

"Meleth, I do not want you to feel pressured in any way," Glorfindel said to the elleth one day as they sat under the shade of a tree in the Folkwell. "We have a year and a half of time before we need to make any decision; I don't want you to feel rushed."

"Nonsense Fin," (got to love that nickname :]) she said, looking up into his face, "I do not feel pressured at all, my heart tells me that this is where it wants to be, and I don't see any reason for that to change at all." She said seriously, surprised that he would feel the need to say that.

"What does your heart tell you?" he said quietly, so quietly that the entire mood of the afternoon changed a much more serious mood in place now.

"My heart tells me that it is content with you, and is happy, and will remain happy so long as it has your heart."

Smiling, they looked into each other's eyes, happiness seeming to radiate off of the two as they kissed for a long, long time.

Later on they would both discover that that moment was when the beginnings of an inseparable bond between their two spirits began.

* * *

**A/N: Ehh I know this is a lot shorter than what I usually write, but at this point I don't think I have a 3000 word chapter in me. I'm not sure I like the ending on this one, but again I'm not sure exactly where I am going with this right now. **

**For those that don't know a whole lot about Gondolin (or should I say obsess over it like me…) the Orfalch Echor is the ravine that led into the hidden valley, guarded by seven gates, and the great gate was built by Maeglin after the Battle of Unnumbered Tears. The Square of the Folkwell was a large square in the city-think almost like Central Park- that was pretty much a foresty area that had a lot of trees and a well that had a great depth to it, with unbelievably pure water.**

**I almost hate having to write Maeglin in, but its unavoidable, seeing as he was in charge of the cities miners, and hey he just so happens to be Nariel's boss :/**

**I've been thinking of where I want this story to go, and at this point, I'm kind of split, so there might be two different endings going on, with **_**very**_** different paths too, so if anyone wants to see that, let me know.**

**Reviews are greatly appreciated as always, I'll also be barricading myself in my room in case any anger person wants to kill me haha, and sorry again for such a long wait, and for such a rambling authors note….**


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